Improvement in istle-machines



a Sheets-Shed 1.

G. R. WE'L'K E. ISTLE-MACHINE.

N0..171,78. Patented. Jan. 4, 1876.

WITNESSES: 0 w Q m- I A TORNEYS 3 Sheets-SheetB. G. R. WELKE. ISTLEMACHINE.

Pat'ented Jan. 4,1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUILLERMO ROBERTO WELKE, OF PABRAS DE LA FUENTO, MEXICO.

IMPROVEMENT IN -lSTLE-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17l,70S, dated January 4, 1876; application filed September 4, 1875;

nets, cotton bagging, wagon-sheets, carpets,

and similar objects.

The istle is consumed in immense quantities, and hitherto obtained from the leaves.

of lechugilla, which are scraped by hand.

My machine is intended to facilitate-the slow and primitive process of obtaining the fiber by hand-scraping, so that the istle may be produced in a more rapid and economical manner.

The invention consists mainly of devices for scraping the leaves, while being drawn by rollers through the scraping-knives, which are made to yield to the thickness of the leaves. The leaves are placed between the scrapers up to a gage-piece, and then carried with the scrapers toward the feeding-rollers. Sliding and reciprocating scraper-jaws are operated by suitable transmitting mechanism, by the forward motion of the scraperframe, for scraping off the ends of the, leaves which are conveyed to a receiving-platform, and dropped by the same to a receptacle below.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved machine for making istle, on the lines o c, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, detail side and top views of the scrapingknives, a part being broken off to show their mode of adjustment. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the main scraper-frame in open position to take up the leaves of the lechugilla; and Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the machine, on the line a: a, Fig. 5, to show mechanism for dropping the receiving-platform back of the draw-rolls.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts...

improved machine for treating the leaves of the lechugilla, and producing the fiber of the I same. At about the middle part of frame A are arranged the plain or fiutedrollers D, which draw the leaves to be scraped through the scraper-frame E, and feed them to the reciprocating scraping-jaws B back of the rollers. The jaws B slide separately in slotted guide-pieces G, and are operated to open and close by crank-rods B. The draw-rollers D are revolved at suitable speed by crank, belt, and pulley, or otherwise, the upper one being adjustable in the slotted standards by springs and set-screws, to the thickness of the leaves, and the degree of tension required. The scraper-frame E is placed on an extension, A, in front of the rollers D, and guided on friction-rollers with balance-weights, or

otherwise in suitable manner, to be easily carried against the rollers and backagain for supplying the leaves. The scraper-frame E is made of an upper and lower section, E,

which are connected by toggle-levers a with spiral springs b acting thereon, so that the upper section is raised as soon as the pressure on the same is discontinued. The front toggle-levers are longer, to throw the front end of the upper section high up, so that the introduction of the leaves is facilitated. Each scraper section is made of side pieceswith lateral scrapingknives F and wooden blocks F, which alternate in such a manner that the scraping knives of the upper section bear against blocks of the lower, and the knives of the lower section against blocks of the upper section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The scraping-knives F are made of a series of slotted blades, which are arranged so as to alternately overlap each other, and are guided between outer side plates 01 by connectingbolt (1. The blades are acted upon by spiral springs c placed between the shoulders of the blades and the inclosing casing f, which is provided with hollow screw-nuts f, to adjust the tension of the springs. The blades are thus enabled to yield to the varying thickness of the leaves when the same are drawn through the scraper-knives.

The leaves are placed sidewise to each other 0n the lower scraper section, and pushed plate H is applied to pivotedlever'arms 9 that drop alonginclined recesses g of frame A simultaneously with the forward motion of the scraper-frame. A spiral spring, 9 attached to the gage-plate assists in the downward motion, and throws the gage out of the way, producing thereby the unobstructed feeding of the leaves to the rollers. The end of the scraper-frame E is made with inclined jaws E, that extend toward the rollers and take hold of the leaf ends on the dropping of the gage-plate to feed them to the rollers.

The jaws taper down to such width that they may pass near enough to the rollers to secure the regular feeding of the leaves. 7

The inclined side pieces are acted upon by top rollers h, which force, during the. forward motion of the scraper-frame, the upper section down, so that instantly on the taking hold of the leaf ends by the rollers the scraping ac tion of the knives throughout the scrapingframe begins, it being continued until the leaves have passed through the rollers:

Asthe scraping operation has to be accomplished by moistening the leaves, suitable sprinkling devices are employed to furnish the required quantity of water.

The forward motion of the scraper-frame E engages, by a side lug, t, the friction-roller Z of a fulcrumed lever, l, that presses with its lower end on a bar, m, which is hingedat its upper end to frame A, and slides with its slotted and spring-acted lower end on a pin, m The hinged harm is carried bylever l toward frame A, so as to release a shaft, n, that slides in a slotted socket or collar, a and is actedupon by; a spring, 41?. The shaft n is made of two pieces linked together by ball or socket joint, or otherwise, to admit the swinging of the end, and thethrowing into gear of a bevel-pinion, 4a, with a bevel-wheel, a, of the, lower drawroller. A bevel-gearing at the opposite end of shaft 11. transmits motion to alower and upper crank-shaft, 0, to which the crank-rods B" of the scraper-jawsB are connected. The forward motion of the scraper-frame produces thereby the rapid action of the scraper-jaws B at the momentwhen the ends of the leaves pass through the rollers, so that the jaws scrape quickly the crushed ends of theleaves, the scraping action being continued only long enough to produce the complete scraping of .the ends of the leaves.

The scraping action of the jaws is interrupted on the completion of the revolution of shaft n by a lug or projection, m of .thesame com ing in contact with; the hinged bar m, so that the pinion n is thrown out of gear. When the leaves have passed through therollers the frame E is withdrawn, and a new: set; of, 1

leaves inserted, and this operation is continned in the same manner.

from the adheringor'ganic matter, is dropped on the platfrom Gimmediately below the recip; rocatin g jaws B, which platform is also tilted by the forward motion of the scraper-frame E as y the fulcrumed lever l presses, simultaneously with the release of the bar m, on a twisted portion of pin. m causing it to turn in its socket and act by a lever-arm, r, on the-fut, crumedelbow-shaped supports rof platform G. A spiral spring, 8, attached to platform and frame carries'this platform instantlyback, after dropping the fiber into a suitableirecep tacle below.

I do not confine myself to the special arrangement of the mechanism fortransrnitting motion to the scraper-jaws and thetilting platform, as the same effect may be produced in different manner, this construction being merely shown to explain the connection of the scraper-frameand revolving rollers with the parts requiring intermittent motion.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as newand desireto secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The sliding scraper-frame E, made of an upper and lower section, E which are connected by toggle-levers a and, springs b, and

constructed of alternating scraper-knives F and blocks F that act jointlyon the: inter posed leaves, substantially in the manner specified. r 2. Thescraping-knifeF of the scraper-frame made of a series of alternately overlapping fblades, which are guided and yield to adjust themselvesto the thickness of the leaves, substantially as described.

3. The scraper-frame herein described, provided with a'swinging and spring gage-plate,

H, to secure position of leaves and dropout motion of frame, as set of the way on forward forth.

4. The sliding scraper-frame E, having inclined end jaws in combination with the top rollers h, which compress the scraper sections E and feed leaves to draw-rollers g, substan tially as described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 17th day of May, 1875.

GUILLERMO ROBERTO WELKE.

Witnesses: Y. GALINDO,

WILLIAM KoENz,

The fiber or istle, thus freed by the scrapers 

